Naruto 1. Chapter 1: How do you feel?

**Heartache**

**Ch:1 How do you feel?**

Ino had always had a 'thing' for a certain guy. His name, Shikamaru Nara. Ino never knew how to tell him, and still doesn't. Today she was going to build the courage to ask him how he felt about her.

'_This is going to be difficult'_ Ino thought. For once, she found it difficult to find Shikamaru. She looked in his usual spot where he takes his afternoon naps. No Shikamaru. She looked in their usual hangouts. No Shikamaru! She went around to his house, and hesitantly knocked on his front door. The opened, and there stood Shikamaru's father.

"Hello Mr. Nara. Is Shikamaru here?" Ino questioned.

"Oh, hello Ino. Yeah he's upstairs in his room. You can go right up he's not doing anything, I think," Mr. Nara told her. Ino nodded, thanked him, and went upstairs to Shikamaru's. She knocked on his door, but no answer. She knocked again, and still no answer. She turned the doorknob, and the door slowly, creaked open. She poked her head, but she didn't see anything or anyone. She slowly walked in; as she walked in she looked around noticing all the pictures of him and his family. She walked closer; not paying attention to where she was walking, she banged into his bed. She saw something move under the covers, she wasn't sure if it was Shikamaru or not. The lump had moved again; she pulled the blanket off. She gasped when she saw Shikamaru in his bed with only his boxers on. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she saw Shikamaru's eyes slowly open.

"Wha… what the hell!? Ino what the hell are you doing here?" Shikamaru questioned while blushing madly.

" I…uh just wanted to know where you were," Ino replied. Shikamaru got up, walked toward his clothes draw, put some pants on, and exclaimed, " There has to be another reason. If you really wanted to know you could of called."

"Well there is. I… uh…um," Ino stuttered. Shikamaru looked at her with an impatient expression, "C'mon Ino spit it out! You know I wont ridicule or make fun of you."

" I know…"

"So just say it!"

Ino gulped and licked her lips, " how…how…do you…." She took one last breath and blurted out, " Feel about me?"

Shikamaru nearly chocked on the air he was breathing. He looked at her with widened eyes, and exclaimed while chocking on his words, " Ino…I can't really say with you here, the only person I really told was Chouji."

" Then pretend I'm Chouji, please I just really need to know so I can get this off my chest!" Ino told him.

Shikamaru sighed, shook his head, and said, " Ok fine but you have to turn around." Ino sighed, turned around and questioned, " so Shikamaru how do feel about Ino?"

" I think Ino is very smart, pretty, and brave."

" What else?"

"I like how she's very out going, and free spirited."

" And…"

"Ok, Ok '_Chouji'_. My favorite thing about her is her eyes. I like how when you look in them you can see the world. When she smiles you can't help but to smile because it's so warming and sweet. So I guess I don't know how I feel about her, but I know I like her more than a friend."

Ino felt like she was going to cry; one: because she was happy he said all that about her, and two: because she was sad that he didn't say he loved her. Right now all she knew was that she loved him.


	2. Chapter 2: tradegy

Ch.2 Tragedy 

'_5:00 pm'_

' I'm so stupid! Why couldn't I just say I love her? It's too late now, I have to go on the mission in a few min…' Shikamaru's thoughts were interrupted when the phone began to ring. He got up from his bed, picked up the phone, and questioned, " Hello?"

" Shikamaru, we need you right now. We can't wait any longer," the voice had sounded like Tsunade, except instead of sounding like her mellow tone of voice she had sounded scared and worried.

" Tsunade why…" about when he was going to say something, he heard the dial tone on the other end of the phone. He hung up the phone, got dressed, and ran down the stairs and out the door.

As he was running toward Tsunade's office, he still had the thought of him and Ino in his mind. How things probably would of changed if he would of kissed her right then and there. If he would of told her, he loved her. Shikamaru hated himself right now. Shikamaru stopped short when he heard something or someone in the trees. He threw his kunai toward the tree, and nothing happened; he just assumed that there was nothing there and kept walking.

_Shing_

Shikamaru stopped walking and blood came pouring out of his mouth like a waterfall. He tried to turn around, but the pain was too extreme that he couldn't. He could only see out of the corner of his eye; he saw a muscular man with a sword in his hand. The sword was piercing through his skin. Shikamaru closed his eyes, closed his eyes, and fell to the ground with tears in his eyes. His last word were, "Ino…"

'End' 

'_6:00 pm'_

Ino was lying on her bed thinking about what had happened two hours ago. She got up and stretched, while she was walking toward her bedroom door, but as soon as she turned the knob her phone started to ring. She sighed and picked the phone.

" Hello?" Ino questioned.

" Ino? It's Chouji," Chouji replied.

" Hey Chouji. What's up?" Ino asked.

" It's Shikamaru…he's…" his words sounded as if they were lodged in his throat.

" Chouji just calm down, now slowly and calmly tell me what happened. What's happened to Shikamaru?"

She heard him clear his throat and then spoke, " Shikamaru…Shikamaru is dead Ino! He's dead!"

Ino dropped the phone and fell to her knees. She started hysterically crying.

" Why!? How could he do this to me?" Ino felt sick, she felt like she was going to throw up!

" Shikamaru…."

'_3 days later'_

3 days had passed since Shikamaru's death. Today's was his funeral; Ino couldn't bear to see her best friend, the only person she really loved, dead.

Ino took a deep breath as she opened the church doors. She entered the room where Shikamaru's funeral was being held. She saw all his family members, his friends. When she spotted Shikamaru's parents, they were sobbing, and comforting each other.

She walked up to them, and said, " I'm so sorry."

"It's ok… it wasn't your fault. You couldn't do anything to stop. I'm sure that killer will be put in his place." Mrs. Nara told her trying to hide the sniffles and sobs in her throat.

"Wait!" Ino objected. " He was murdered?"

"Yeah you didn't know that? They found a hole in his stomach caused by a samurai sword." Mr. Nara informed her. Ino was speechless, ' how come I wasn't told this…are they trying to keep this a secret from me?' she thought. She stepped away from them and on to Shikamaru's coffin. She approached the coffin; inside the coffin laid the dead, pale Shikamaru. 'He looks so peaceful' she thought. She placed her hand on his cold, pale cheek; she stroked it with her thumb.

" I love you," Ino whispered.

" I love you too," a voice said. Ino shot away, and gasped.

" Shikamaru?" Ino questioned.

" Yes, Ino," Shikamaru said. Ino covered her ears, and started crying. " What's wrong Ino?" he asked again. Ino was in shock; she seemed to attract a lot of attention too. Sakura came over to her and put her hand on her shoulder.

"Ino are you ok?" Sakura asked. Ino couldn't talk, and at that moment Ino was too overwhelmed with fear; she collapsed on the ground, and fainted.


	3. Chapter 3: I'm not crazy!

**Ch. 3 I'm not crazy!**

"Ino…Ino…Ino…INO!" a familiar voice screamed. Ino's eyes fluttered open. She looked around the surroundings, seeing that it looked familiar. She put her hand on her head, and began to rub it.

" Wha…Chouji?" Ino questioned frantically.

"Ino! Thank god your ok! What happened back there? You had an episode, and you fainted," Chouji explained.

" Did I really faint?" questioned Ino.

" Yeah, you were out for like six hours! Now tell me what happened," Chouji demanded.

" You wouldn't believe me; no one would."

" C'mon Ino. You can tell me. I wont…" Ino put her finger up to Chouji's lips to prevent him from speaking. Her eyes started to tear. "That's exactly what Shikamaru said to me the last time I saw him. I'm sorry, I have to go." Ino rushed out of Chouji's room. Ino slammed the door behind her and took a deep breath.

" Why are you doing this to me, Shikamaru?" Ino questioned. Ino slid down, and looked up at the sky. She began to cry as she saw images of her and Shikamaru together. 'You just need some rest. Now get up, just get up and walk…' Ino instructed herself. She held on to the wall and slowly got up.

When Ino arrived home, her mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Her father was on the couch reading a book.

" Hey sweetie! What do you want to eat for dinner?" her mother asked Ino.

" I'm not hungry…" Ino said, shifting by her mother and heading up stairs.

" Are you…" her mom was interrupted by Ino's bedroom door slamming.

Ino plopped on her bed, and covered her head with her covers. She heard a knock at her door.

"Mom, I said I'm **not** hungry!" Ino violently said.

"I'm just here to see if you're ok," her mom told her.

"I'm fine…now can you please leave me be," Ino pleaded. Her mom left the door and walked down the stairs.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You shouldn't talk to your mother like that," Shikamaru voice echoed through the room. Ino pulled the blanket off her head, and yelled, " Leave me alone!"

" You know you don't want me to," Shikamaru stated. Ino lifted the vase she had on her nightstand, and threw it toward her wall.

" Just leave me alone!" Ino yelled, while having tears rolling down her eyes. Ino looked around her room. In the corner of her wall, she saw him; a pale, bloody body. As the tears rolled down her; she moved her body back against the wall behind her bed. Shikamaru put his hands out. Ino moved her head back. His cold, pale touched her cheek gently, and stroked her cheek with the ball of his thumb to get rid of the tears.

" Ino…I'm so sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you needed me. I'm just sorry for everything," Shikamaru told her.

" No, I'm sorry, for not being with you when you died. It should have been me who died not you…" Ino said. Shikamaru looked at her with pity in his eyes, and pulled her against him.

" Shikamaru…why are you doing this to me?" Ino asked. Shikamaru loosened his grip on her, and pulled her away. He kissed her lightly and looked in her eyes/

" I have to go," Shikamaru said. As he levitated up ii the air, Ino lifted her head up to look at him.

The next hour Ino had fell asleep. She turned from side to side from the dream she was having. She had been dreaming that she was Shikamaru on the mission. Each step, each action. Then the nightmare, the piercing of Shikamaru's skin from the sharp sword, his screams, his tears; over and over again, witnessing his death.

Ino's eyes shot open and she let out an ear splitting scream. Her parents came barging in her room.

" What's wrong?! Why are you screaming?" her father asked.

" Shikamaru…" she said while tears poured out her eyes, and clutching on to her pillow. Her parents came over to her and put their arms around her.

" Sweetie Shikamaru's dead," her mother told her. Ino immediately pushed away, " no he's not! He's alive!"

"Ino are you feeling ok?" her father questioned. Ino didn't answer; all she did was stare down. Her parents walked out of the room. As they reached the kitchen they began to talk.

" I think Ino might need some help," her father said.

" She's not crazy. I think she's just depressed, and confused," her mother stated. Her father ran his hand through his hair, shook his head, and said, " it wouldn't hurt, just to try." Her father suggested. Her mother sighed and went back to her room.

The next morning Ino's parents came into her room.

"What do you want?" Ino asked.

" Well we've been thinking maybe you should go see a shrink," her father suggested.

"I'm not crazy!" Ino said. Her mother came over to her and placed her hand on her shoulder and told her, " We just want to see if your ok. You've been acting really weird ever since…" she was interrupted when Ino yelled, " Shut up! I don't need help! I don't need anything!" Ino said.

"Don't get upset over me," Shikamaru whispered in her ear.

" Just leave me alone! I don't want you here!" Ino yelled.

"I hate to do this to you Ino,"

An hour later, Ino heard police sirens, and saw ambulance cars pull up her drive way. She heard foot steps come up her steps and slam her door open. One cop pinned her down to her bed, and another one came in and put a white jacket on her. The police didn't have a chance to let her even speak. When they got outside, they threw her in to the back of the ambulance truck.

As she was arriving to her arrival she saw Shikamaru stand in front of her/

"I'm sorry this is my fault," he said.

" Don't be sorry. I could of just…" she was interrupted when the driver banged on the glass window in the back and yelled, " Quiet back there!" Shikamaru kissed her forehead and left.

When she arrived at the mental institution, the ambulance drive took her into the building and threw her into a room.

"I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy! I'M NOT CRAZY!"


	4. Chapter 4:Thankyou

Ch.4 Thank-you

Ino fell flat on her side, and stared at the wall.

"Well this sucks!" Ino exclaimed. She sighed and thought, 'Shikamaru where are you when I need you?"

"So this is what it's like. Never thought it was this big," Shikamaru said while coming through the wall.

"Just go away. You're the one who put me in here!" Ino commanded. Shikamaru sighed and told her, "I'm sorry Ino, but I can help you."

"How are _you_ going to help me!? People already think I'm crazy!" Ino snapped.

"Listen Ino, do you want me to help you or not?" Shikamaru asked impatiently.

"No thanks…" Ino replied in a sarcastic tune. 'Troublesome…' Shikamaru thought. He sighed and kissed her nose.

Sakura walked up to the door and rang the bell.

"Oh Sakura!" Inoichi said in shock.

"Hi, Mr. Yamanaka. Is Ino home?" she asked. Inoichi's eyes widened and replied, "Uh-no…"

"Well where is she?"

"I don't know…"

"Yes you do! If you didn't you wouldn't be too good of parents now would you? Now where is she?!"

"She's…away."

"Where? I want to bring her somewhere."

"Let's just say we sent her somewhere with pretty white walls." He slammed the door in her face and locked it. Sakura clenched her fist and whispered, " How dare they! She's upset; she doesn't deserve that! BASTARDS!" she ran toward the institution where she guessed she was…and she was right. She walked up to the desk in the lobby and asked, "Is Ino Yamanaka staying in this institution?"

"Uh…Yeah. She's in room 13; down the hall, to the right," the lady at the desk instructed. Sakura thanked her and went to the room. When she reached the room she saw Ino sitting down against the wall thinking.

"Ino! Hey Ino!" Sakura yelled while banging on the door. Ino looked up toward the door. "What are you doing here?" Ino asked.

"I'm going to get you out of here. I promise." Sakura replied. Ino nodded and continued looking at the wall again.

"Excuse me. Hi again; listen the patient you have, Ino Yamanaka, please I need you to le her out. She doesn't belong here." Sakura pleaded

"I'm sorry miss. We cant let anyone out with out knowing they're normal," the lady at the desk told her.

"Please, I've known her for nine years! What if I can prove it," the lady said. " Ok fine we'll get her, but if you don't prove that she doesn't belong here miss Ino will be here for a long time. You understand?!" Sakura nodded. A few hours later the lady that was at the desk brought out Ino and a young women, who Sakura assume she was the manager of the place. The desk women left and the manager sat Ino down next to Sakura; the manager sat down in a large chair across from them.

"Ok miss; you have 20 min to prove Ino doesn't belong here. Starting with the 1st question. Why do you think she belongs here?" the manager asked.

"Well Ino's depressed and confused. Her best friend just passed away, and she's always had these feelings for him," Sakura explained.

" I didn't just have feeling for him. I loved him more than anything. After he died I thought I couldn't live with out him. When ever I thought about him I'd burst my eyes out," Ino said with a depression expression.

"Wow! I'm sorry. I didn't know, your parents didn't say anything about that on the phone. I can understand, you can go. I'm very sorry about your loss miss Ino," the manager said.

"It's ok. Thank you," Ino said. Sakura and Ino walked out of the institution.

It was quiet for a while as they walked.

"Thank you," Ino finally said.

"Hey it was nothing. I still don't believe your parents did that to you," Sakura said.

"I don't want to go home. They don't understand," Ino said.

"So where do you want to go?"

A few minutes later they arrived at the doorway. Sakura rang the doorbell, and waited. As they stood in the doorway the door slowly opened. There stood Shikato. He looked like he didn't sleep for days, and his eyes looked bloodshot and dry probably from crying so much.

"M-Mr. Nara. Please, please let me stay here," Ino begged.

"Ino, why would you want to stay here?" Shikato asked.

"I need something to remind me, to see something that he can still be happy where ever he is," she replied.

"Why don't you want to go home?" Shikato questioned.

"They thought I was crazy because…I shouldn't even tell you. You wouldn't believe me," Ino said with a sad tone, almost like she wanted to drop down on the floor and cry forever.

"Ok fine you stay. Just 'cause you were Shikamaru's best friend and I know you really cared about him," he said. Ino smiled lightly; she felt like she hadn't smiled for years. It actually felt good about smiling even if it wasn't a big one. She stepped in the house and thanked Sakura again and said good bye to her.

"Shikato who is it?" Yioshi asked, "Oh Ino; why are you here?"

Yioshi looked worse than Shikato…a hell of a lot worse.

"She's going to stay here for a while. It's about…well Shikamaru," Shikato had answered for her. 'I wonder if they see him like I do..'

"Ino were just making dinner, and I would love for you to join us. Have you eaten?" Yioshi asked. Ino shook her head. Ino waited for a while at the dinner table for the food to be ready. Yioshi walked over to Ino and Shikato and placed 2 plates in front of them.

"So, what was so bad that you couldn't go back home?" Shikato asked curiously. As he looked at her, he realized that she was about to cry. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you, I was just asking." After dinner Ino sat on the steps and just sat there bored for the first time. Ino's curiosity was taking the best of her again. She walked up the stairs; she knew where her legs were taking her, but she knew her mind didn't want to go there. She arrived at the door and opened it. The room was the same as it was 4 weeks ago, except there were some clothes and a towel in the corner. She stepped in the room and continued walking closer and closer to his bed. She ran her hand across the bed sheets. The sheets were still messy; she assumed that his mother hasn't touched the bed since he died. She gasped when she felt muscular arms hug around her waist and tear drops fall on her shoulder.

"Thank you…"


End file.

Naruto, Mystery, Romance